It is not true, however, I find, although I have often heard it asserted in England, that the Irish Government is officered by Englishmen and Scotchmen exclusively.

The murdered Mr.Burke certainly was not an Englishman; and there is an apparent predominance of Irishmen in the places of trust and power.

That things at the Castle cannot be nearly so bad, moreover, as we in America are asked to believe, would seem to be demonstrated by the affectionate admiration with which Lord Spencer is now regarded by men like Mr.
O'Brien, M.P., who only the other day seemed to regard him as an unfit survival of the Cities of the Plain.

If what these men then said of him, and of the Castle generally, was even very partially true--or if being wholly false, these men believed it to be true--every man of them who now touches Lord Spencer's hand is defiled, or defiles him.
But that concerns them.

Their present attitude makes Lord Spencer a good witness when he declares that the Civil servants of the Crown in Ireland, called "the Castle," are "diligent, desire to do their duty with impartiality, and to hold an even balance between opposing interests in Ireland," and maintains that they "will act with impartiality and vigour if led by men who know their own minds, and desire to be firm in the Government of the country." All this being true, Mr.Balfour ought to make his Government a success.
Mr.Balfour introduced me to Sir West Ridgway, the successor of Sir Redvers Buller, who has been rewarded for the great services he did his country in Asia, by being flung into this seething Irish stew.